Free Web NovelChapter 632: Chapter 632: No Dowry, Still in the Right
Wu Na was so startled by Mrs. Jia’s yelling that her head hurt.
She felt wronged too.
The dowry promised by her family was withheld. She knelt and cried, begging her parents for it. If it weren’t for the Gu Family withholding the bride price and not renovating a new house, her parents wouldn’t have withheld her dowry.
In the end, it was the Gu Family that implicated her.
Wu Na countered, "Why did my parents withhold my dowry? Isn’t it because your Gu Family doesn’t act properly? If you were willing to give a bride price back then, and didn’t insinuate about my pregnancy during the marriage discussions, my parents wouldn’t have withheld the dowry. Maybe they would’ve even given more seeing your sincerity."
"Now look, there’s nothing left."
Mrs. Jia listened to Wu Na’s words and was so angry she wanted to hit someone, thinking Wu Na is justified even without the dowry.
With this reminder from Wu Na, Gu Ruinian began to blame Mr. Gu, Gu Youtian, and the others. They lost a substantial dowry for the sake of a small bride price.
It was truly a case of losing more than they gained.
If he had known it would end up like this, he would have persuaded the family to give Wu Na the bride price from the start.
Wu Na hadn’t eaten all day, her family didn’t care for her, Gu Ruinian gave her the cold shoulder, and her in-laws were focused solely on her dowry, not caring about her wellbeing.
She was a spoiled woman. When scolded by her mother-in-law, all her grievances exploded.
She shouted at Mrs. Jia, "You can’t swallow this? Why should you? The dowry isn’t for you. My parents’ dowry is for me, and even if they hadn’t withheld the land deeds and silver, it’d still be mine. I wouldn’t be stupid enough to use it to support you. If you can’t swallow it, go to Black Dragon Pond and talk to my parents, see how much bride price you’re willing to exchange for my dowry. If you can’t do it, then stop spouting nonsense."
Mrs. Jia’s eyes widened, worried about the embarrassment if news spread that her daughter-in-law insulted her by saying nonsense.
"And you all," Wu Na said to Mr. Gu and the others, "I’ve bowed at the wedding, served tea, and I’m carrying the seed of your Gu family. You can’t deny that I’m your daughter-in-law. Since I’m a Gu wife, it’s only right I eat and drink your food."
"If you try to use my parents withholding the dowry against me, then you’ve got the wrong idea. Worst case, I’ll take the whole family down with me."
Mr. Gu and the others were so upset their chests heaved.
Being pregnant before marriage without a dowry, shouldn’t she keep her head down and desperately curry favor with her in-laws?
But Wu Na did the opposite; she appeared fully justified and righteous.
"I’m hungry, mother-in-law, please cook me a bowl of noodles, with two eggs," Wu Na instructed Mrs. Jia, patting her belly, "It’s not me that needs to eat, it’s your grandson in here that needs it."
After saying this, Wu Na turned and went back to her own room.
She even carried the brazier from the main room into her room.
She didn’t mention separating from the family anymore.
Separate, my foot.
Wu Na had figured it out; she would eat and drink the Gu’s stuff. If they didn’t give it to her, no one would have an easy time.
The Gu family was once again stunned by Wu Na’s actions.
Mrs. Jia was so furious she started to cry on the spot.
She suddenly reminisced about the good of her eldest daughter-in-law, Mrs. Wei. She used to think Mrs. Wei was smart and incited Feng Nian to move away, but Mrs. Wei always respected her as a mother-in-law both in front and behind others.
Wu Na not only didn’t show respect, but treated her like a servant.
Mrs. Gu cursed loudly out of anger.
"Shameless, Wu Ren’s daughter is running circles around us all. Your face is really big, wanting two eggs, as if you deserve it."
"What sin did my family commit to bring home a jinx like you? This will be the death of me."
Mrs. Wei and Gu Xiaoxue returned home from the Weaving Workshop, sitting in the west room eating and watching the drama unfold in the main house.
Mrs. Wei sneered, believing her great-grandmother and grandparents thought they could control Wu Ren by Wu Na’s pregnancy, only to have the rug pulled out from under them.
Though she didn’t like her sister-in-law Wu Na either, she couldn’t help but admire Wu Na’s spirit in this moment.
This was exactly how you should treat them.
No walls in Qinghe Bay are impervious to wind.
Quickly, news spread through the village that Wu Na’s dowry had been withheld by Wu Ren.
The villagers enjoyed watching the Gu family become a laughingstock.
Before Gu Ruinian’s marriage, Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Jia had boasted to everyone about the village chief’s daughter marrying into their family, and the rich dowry from the Wu Family. They not only boasted but also subtly looked down on other sons for not being capable enough to find a bride willing to bring in wealth.
Let them show off, and in the end, they get nothing.
Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Jia were so embarrassed they didn’t dare to step outside, feeling as deflated as eggplants hit by frost.
Mr. Gu and Gu Youtian felt even more at a loss. For Gu Ruinian’s wedding, they hosted a grand banquet and owed Fengle Building fifty taels of silver. No matter how benevolent Boss Qian was, he couldn’t allow a line of credit from customers go uncollected without taking action.
Boss Qian came to the old Gu house daily to collect the debt.
This forced Mr. Gu and Gu Youtian to go to their clan to borrow money.
Meanwhile, Wu Na wasted no energy at all. She gathered all the household’s coal in her room, picked and chose what to eat daily, and frequently got into food fights with Gu Honglian, who had cried to Tong Huaqiong many times about her grievances.
Wu Na needed to nourish herself, and barged into the chicken pen to slaughter one chicken a day.
Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Jia were so angry they cursed loudly, but Wu Na sat at the door like a chopping block, engaging in a verbal battle with the women.
The chaos was lively like chickens flying and dogs jumping.
The entire village watched the Gu family’s farce every day.
Mrs. Gu cried and lamented her fate, first having married a shrew for a daughter-in-law, and now a lioness.
Gu Ruinian’s dream of leaving Mr. Gu and others to live comfortably in town shattered. Initially, he gave his new bride the cold shoulder because Wu Na hadn’t delivered on her promised dowry. But Wu Na gave him a thorough dressing down, and he dared not be emotionally abusive anymore.
Mrs. Gu and Mrs. Jia encouraged Gu Ruinian to beat Wu Na, saying if you knead the dough it becomes softer, and a wife becomes more compliant with beating. But before Gu Ruinian could lift his hand, Wu Na slapped him twice in front of his two mothers-in-law.
She indeed loved Gu Ruinian, but only if he obeyed her.
She only wanted to live well with Gu Ruinian, blaming Gu Ruinian for not being able to live alone with him. It’s his allowing the family to haggle with the Wu family during the marriage talks that made her lose her parents’ favor and the dowry.
Gu Ruinian was frustrated beyond words.
He thought with Wu Na’s lack of dowry, he could morally pressure her, and out of guilt, she would be completely obedient.
Perhaps shouldering his work, or taking care of him, he could take a rest, as he was too tired to work anymore.
But Wu Na didn’t play by the rules. She was indeed lovestruck, given there was enough food, drink, and money, she’d shut the doors and live a little life with Gu Ruinian, oblivious to the outside storm.
But if she had to weather the storm, she wouldn’t.
She was lazier than Gu Honglian, often lying in bed demanding Gu Ruinian serve her.
She’d curse at the slightest disagreement.
Wu Na disliked the way Mrs. Jia and Mrs. Gu cooked, so she made him cook for her himself, wanting chicken one day, duck the next, exhausting the household’s poultry.
Seeing him countered by Wu Na, Mrs. Gu started cursing him every day; he felt like dying.
He even doubted if Wu Na’s lovesick act was real.
The commotion at the old Gu house was so loud, Tong Huaqiong could hear it from the Weaving Workshop.
Wasn’t this mess the old house’s own doing?
Attempting to extract profit from the marriage with underhanded tactics not only backfired but led to welcoming a burdensome guest.
