Eighteen thousand as a dowry.

A down payment on a 600,000 yuan house.

A car worth over 200,000 yuan.

A total of one million!

The Chen family was being asked to come up with one million yuan.

Ye Chen almost couldn't hold back his laughter upon hearing this demand. Is it gilded or something?

In this flashy and absurdly materialistic era, many brides-to-be consider it perfectly reasonable to demand dowries, houses, and cars.

But this "reasonable" notion has to be based on whether the groom's family can afford it!

Given the Chen family's situation:

Years ago, Chen Jianguo was laid off and only managed to secure a job as a security guard after much effort.

Liu Xueqin, his wife, works as a cleaner for a company.

Together, the couple's combined monthly salary barely reaches 7,000 yuan.

As for Chen Yihao, though he works as a designer for a decoration company and earns over 10,000 yuan a month, most of his income goes to Wang Qian and daily expenses, leaving little to no savings.

Under such circumstances, one million yuan is an astronomical figure for them.

When Wang Qian made her demands, Liu Xueqin and Chen Jianguo were stunned.

"Didn't you say just having a house would suffice?"

"Now you're asking for 180,000 yuan in dowry and a Mercedes-Benz too?"

Even Chen Yihao, who usually catered to Wang Qian's every whim, couldn't help but darken his expression.

"Xiao Qian, isn't this a bit much? A million yuan? Isn't that pushing it?" Chen Yinuo frowned.

Wang Qian, however, didn't flinch.

"Humph, a million? A million isn't much at all! Compared to what my friends are asking for, my demands are modest!"

"But Xiao Qian, didn't you say earlier that just buying a house would do?" Liu Xueqin asked uneasily.

"Yeah, I did say that," Wang Qian replied, "but considering your family's circumstances, I've already compromised!"

"Compromised? How is this a compromise?" Chen Jianguo questioned.

"Why isn't it?" Wang Qian retorted impatiently. "Originally, I wanted a fully paid-for house worth at least two million. Now, I'm only asking for 180,000 as a dowry, a down payment for a house, and a Mercedes A-Class. That totals just one million! Isn't that me being considerate of your situation?"

"If you were considerate of Yihao's family situation, you wouldn't make these demands in the first place," Ye Chen chimed in unexpectedly. "You've been with Yihao long enough to know his family's situation, haven't you? A million... that's not a small amount!"

Before Wang Qian could respond, Liu Xueqin exploded.

"And who are you to talk, you shameless freeloader? Didn't the food on this table shut your mouth?"

Ye Chen shrugged helplessly and offered a bitter smile. Realizing he was unwelcome, he decided to keep quiet.

But Wang Qian wasn't going to let him off so easily.

"And what do you think I should ask for? Should I be like Yihao's sister, who asked for nothing and ended up living in some filthy village rental, riding a shabby scooter in the rain and sun? Even if I were willing to live like that, do you think my parents would allow it?"

Hearing this, Liu Xueqin and Chen Jianguo grew furious.

Because of Chen Yinuo's decision to marry an orphan with no prospects, not only did their family fail to improve their circumstances, but they didn't even receive a dowry!

Now, seeing how much it would cost to marry off Yihao, they felt even more bitter.

Noticing their darkened expressions, the atmosphere turned tense.

In a panic, Chen Yinuo scolded Ye Chen, "Why did you butt in? Just shut up already!"

Wang Qian sneered, her mockery directed at both Ye Chen and Yinuo.

Feeling resentful, Ye Chen fell silent. Just then, his phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID: it was Xiao Qiang. After a moment's thought, he answered.

"I'm stepping out to take this call," he said to Chen Yinuo.

"Go as far as you can!" Liu Xueqin snapped, waving him off disdainfully.

Ignoring her, Ye Chen walked to the balcony with his phone.

At the dining table, Chen Yihao finally spoke up, "Wang Qian, isn't this too much? You knew about my family's situation before we got together, didn't you? A million—aren't you just pushing me to my limit?"

Wang Qian, always used to bullying Yihao, was unwilling to back down.

"Work together to save up? And if we can't? What then? End up like your sister, living in a dump and riding a junky scooter? If you can't handle this, then forget about the marriage!"

"You..." Yihao trembled with anger.

"Don't 'you' me!" Wang Qian retorted. "It's your family trying to marry me, not the other way around!"

Seeing things spiral out of control, Chen Jianguo tried to mediate.

"Xiao Qian, how about this: the dowry and house down payment are fine. But for the Mercedes..."

Chen Jianguo paused, calculating their savings.

Years ago, they had received a three-bedroom apartment and 400,000 yuan in compensation from a demolition project. Combined with 300,000 yuan withdrawn from Ye Chen's card and their years of savings, they had around 900,000 yuan.

But they were still about 100,000 yuan short.

"How about we just make the down payment for the car? It'll be under your name, and we'll pay it off gradually. Would that work?" Liu Xueqin asked.

"Enough, Mom and Dad!" Yihao's eyes reddened as tears welled up.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" Chen Jianguo snapped.

Wang Qian thought for a moment and said, "Fine, that'll do."

Liu Xueqin, relieved, beamed.

"Great, then give me your birthdate so I can find an auspicious wedding date!"

Wang Qian nodded, her tone softening.

Turning to Yihao, she said sweetly, "Yihao, this isn't me being unreasonable—it's my parents who insist. They've worked so hard raising me and just want to ensure I don't have to struggle after marriage. I hope you understand."

"My mouth is dry—I don't want to talk," Yihao muttered, struggling to suppress his frustration.

"Your mouth is dry? I'll get you some water!"

Wang Qian got up and walked to the living room, passing the balcony where Ye Chen stood.

On the balcony, unaware of her presence, Ye Chen spoke into the phone.

"Ms. Xiao, let's cut to the chase: my bottom line is 10 million yuan per house. Sixty-six houses, 660 million. If you want them, bring the money. Not a cent less."

These words reached Wang Qian's ears.