Chapter 51 Could it be that Wen Ran was fathered by you as a cuckold at Lu Meiqin's request?

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Song Jianzhong forced himself to say, “Our daughter isn’t worthy of your son. You’d better find another bride!”

Mrs. Gao raised an eyebrow and sneered, “Why didn’t you say she wasn’t worthy when you eagerly came looking for her? Why didn’t you say so when you took the betrothal gifts? Now that you’re trying this with me, I see you’re just trying to swindle the bride price!”

Cold sweat trickled down Song Jianzhong’s face. He glanced at Su Hongyu, signaling her to help speak up.

Su Hongyu hadn’t wanted to come at all. Even the eighty yuan felt like a gift, but since Song Jianzhong had promised to marry her, she reluctantly forced a smile. “Cousin, to be honest, Jianzhong only found out after accepting the bride price that this girl has an incurable disease. Since we’re family, how could I deceive you? That’s why I brought him here to break off the engagement!”

Mrs. Gao was no fool and didn’t believe in incurable diseases.

But after two police officers came by that morning, she started to think the potential daughter-in-law brought bad luck.

With a stern face, she said, “Breaking off the engagement is fine, but the bride price must be returned threefold. Otherwise, even if she dies, she still belongs to the Gao family. We don’t care about one more urn in our house.”

Song Jianzhong’s legs gave out, nearly collapsing to the ground.

He couldn’t repay even the original bride price, let alone three times that amount.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have said Wen Ran had an incurable disease, hoping that the prestigious Gao family would show mercy and waive the repayment.

Su Hongyu thought it was too much too. Even if she married Song Jianzhong after returning the triple bride price, life wouldn’t be any easier.

She hurriedly said, “Cousin, Jianzhong is just an ordinary worker with plenty of expenses. Three times the bride price would kill him!”

“No more nonsense!”

Mrs. Gao wasn’t interested in family ties—just distant relatives.

“Bring the triple bride price and end this properly, so no one thinks the Gao family is easy to fool!”

Song Jianzhong knew the Gao family wasn’t to be trifled with. Seeing her completely devoid of the smile she had worn on the day of the betrothal only confirmed it.

If Wen Ran truly married into the family, it might spell disaster for the Song family.

With a heavy thud, he dropped to his knees. “I’ll pay back whatever I can. My daughter still needs money for treatment. Please, have mercy!”

Mrs. Gao lowered her eyelids. “The Gao family is no charity. If it’s incurable, why bother with treatment? Besides, the medical costs are reimbursed. Are you two conspiring to cheat me?”

“Of course not! We wouldn’t dare!” Su Hongyu no longer dared to call her cousin, sensing her anger and that she was not someone to mess with.

Mrs. Gao still wore a cold expression as she dismissed them. “Bring the triple bride price, and then the engagement will be broken. No food for you here!”

Su Hongyu: “…”

Song Jianzhong: “…”

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Song Jianzhong found himself trapped, unsure how he had even managed to leave the Gao family compound.

The triple bride price weighed on him like three mountains.

Six hundred and eighty yuan turned into two thousand and forty, five grain coupons became fifteen, and five meat coupons turned into fifteen.

The joy he felt when accepting the bride price was now matched by his despair.

He calculated that after expenses and the eighty yuan given to Su Hongyu, only two hundred and sixteen yuan and forty cents remained.

He had four grain coupons left out of five, and only two meat coupons out of five.

He had planned to send some money to Wen Xin and his mother back home, but that was impossible now.

Even if he sold the goods he had just bought, they would lose value, and getting back the eighty yuan from Su Hongyu wouldn’t be enough.

He had already said Wen Ran was terminally ill; marrying her off was impossible!

If she married into the family, the truth would come out; if not, he’d have to repay triple the bride price.

Scratching his head, he stopped and asked, “Hongyu, how much money do you have now?”

“Why?” Su Hongyu asked cautiously. “You’re not trying to take back the money you gave me, are you?”

Song Jianzhong was silent for a moment, then said, “Give me back the eighty yuan I gave you, and lend me four hundred yuan!”

Su Hongyu nearly jumped. “Song Jianzhong, have you no shame? Taking back the money you gave me is one thing, but now you want to borrow from me?”

Song Jianzhong looked miserable. “I have no choice. Taking a step forward is harder than stepping back. What else can I do? You tell me!”

“You’re not getting back the money I gave you, no way!”

Song Jianzhong was on the verge of collapse. “You don’t want to break off the engagement, but you think I want to? If you have a better idea, tell me. I’m out of options!”

Su Hongyu sighed. “Sigh, you can’t count on Wen Ran. But Wen Xin might be an option. Though she was adopted into your family, she’s still on your side!”

Song Jianzhong shook his head repeatedly. “Wen Xin won’t work. I won’t marry her off to a fool!”

“You’re strange. You’re willing to give up your own daughter but not someone else’s!” Su Hongyu asked, curious. “Could it be that Lu Meiqin made you a cuckold?”

Song Jianzhong’s face immediately darkened. “Nonsense! She would never do such a thing!”

Su Hongyu gossiped further. “You’re so biased; anyone else would think the same. You have to pay back triple the bride price. If you want to break off the engagement, Wen Xin has to marry you instead. I have no money to lend you!”

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Song Jianzhong: “…”

He didn’t want either option and silently continued walking forward.

Back at the residential compound, Lu Meiqin and Lu Weidong were waiting at the door.

Seeing Lu Weidong, Song Jianzhong felt an inexplicable dread and hid behind Su Hongyu.

Lu Weidong didn’t want onlookers and roughly dragged him into a small house, punching him squarely in the face without a word.

Song Jianzhong lacked Lu Weidong’s strength. He fell to the ground, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Su Hongyu, who still liked Song Jianzhong, hurried after him.

Frankly, Song Jianzhong only had good looks going for him. Otherwise, with his failed marriage and emptied home, no woman would want him in middle age.

Seeing him beaten, Su Hongyu grew angry. “What’s going on? You’re hitting him without even talking?”

“Get lost! None of your business!” Lu Meiqin looked down on Su Hongyu.

She had once liked Song Jianzhong’s face too, but now regretted ever chasing after him.

He had taken her for granted because it came too easily.

Su Hongyu put her hands on her hips. “I’m not leaving. If you’re looking for trouble with Song Jianzhong, you’re looking for trouble with me!”

“I don’t want to argue with you. Today I’m here to talk with Song Jianzhong. Stay away!” Lu Meiqin was now too disdainful to compete with Su Hongyu.

She had come to realize that Song Jianzhong was all show, a worthless man with someone else in his heart. Anyone who ended up with him would be miserable.

She hoped Su Hongyu, that wretched woman, would jump into the fire pit.

Su Hongyu’s eyes rolled. “You just want to talk about the Gao family marriage, right? Jianzhong and I just came back from breaking off the engagement!”

“You broke off the engagement?” Lu Meiqin and Lu Weidong exchanged surprised looks.

Song Jianzhong wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and stood up. “The Gao family agreed to break off the engagement, but they want six times the bride price. I can’t pay that. I’ve already spent some of it. If you want to break off the engagement, prepare the money. Otherwise, let her marry in!”