After Apocalypse, I Got Rich With Superpower

Chapter 93: Chapter 91 Bride Price

Chapter 93: Chapter 91 Bride Price

“If it’s for living in, then it’d be better to buy a house, but as I see it, neither of you comes home often. You spend more days living on the farm, and your brother is part of the patrol team; he’s always so busy he can hardly touch the ground. You may not have the time to take care of a house.”

Qin Jianzhong pondered the practical issue before speaking up.

“Actually, I’m buying the house for my brother, not for me. I can live on the farm; I don’t need a house. It’s better for my brother to have a house when he wants to get married.”

Liu Qian was indeed concerned about her brother and wanted him to get married, but he needed to have the material conditions first.

“In that case, an apartment would be more suitable. Your brother’s farming isn’t his strong suit; his main superpower is combat. He can’t have his wife do all the work if he is often busy outside; a house wouldn’t be safe.”

Jiao Ming also offered his advice.

Liu Qian nodded, her chin in her hand, “You’re right. Second-hand apartments aren’t cheap either. Depending on the location, the prices vary.”

“If you’re buying, you should get one in a good area. A central location is safer. Buy a larger one so it’s settled in one go, and there’s room for children in the future.”

“That can be expensive; the money we’ve saved might not even be enough.”

Liu Qian smacked her lips in frustration.

“I can lend you the money; just have your brother write me an IOU.”

“Should I write it?”

Liu Qian was very happy when she heard this.

“Have your brother write it. He’s the one getting married; it’s his responsibility to bear. You can’t be doing everything. Once the wife enters the picture, if things aren’t clear and you have nothing but end up with a huge debt, that won’t do. It’s easy for siblings to talk things over, but with a sister-in-law, it might not be the same. Among brothers, it’s best to settle accounts clearly.”

“I understand, I’ll talk to my brother when I get back.”

“Right, I reckon the Base Commander would be willing to lend him money too. Has he found someone?”

“Yeah, he has. He took a liking to the daughter of the No. 4 Farm’s owner. He got to know her from the frequent patrols, and he told me about it.”

Liu Qian said, nodding with a smile.

“If her family’s character is good, there won’t be any problem. But first, ask the girl’s family if they have any conditions. If their demands are too high and beyond our means, we can’t meet them.”

“That’s what I was thinking. We haven’t asked yet. My brother said he would inquire about it in time. He’s also not sure if he wants to get married so quickly; he feels that the relationship isn’t stable enough yet.”

“Then let him figure that out before buying a house. The house isn’t going anywhere, and if money becomes an issue, we can pool our resources. The key thing is to pick the right person.”

“Alright.”

After listening, Liu Qian felt relieved that there wouldn’t be too many issues to worry about in the future.

Three days later, Liu Qian went to deliver vegetables and took the opportunity to visit the base and mention it to her big brother. Liu Hu was also very happy. In the end, it was her own siblings who were the most reliable, still looking out for him.

Brimming with excitement, he ran to see his love interest, a girl named Ma Yan.

“Yanzi, my sister mentioned she has savings. Their farm pays well, and they hardly spend anything, so she’s willing to lend me the money to buy a house.”

“That’s good news, but why do siblings even need to lend money to each other? What if we can’t pay it back?”

Ma Yan cuddled Liu Hu’s arm and swayed it as she cooed.

“I’ll pay it back. My sister works hard on the farm all by herself; how could I let her spend her savings? Our parents died early, and my sister and I depended on each other growing up. I promised my parents to take good care of her. The money that should be paid back can’t be saved.”

Liu Hu shook his head, refusing to agree to debt that could not be repaid.

Ma Yan felt a lump in her throat at the thought of borrowing money for buying a house and when she would be able to pay it back.

“What about the dowry money then? My dad wants a dowry; without it, he won’t arrange the bride’s dowry.”

“We’re living in these times, and he still demands a dowry? What era is this? What does he need a dowry for?”

Liu Hu frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure brewing in his heart. They had just finished discussing this over a meal, and now she was talking about a dowry despite having agreed previously that there wouldn’t be one; she had changed her tune.

In the entire base, nobody asked for a dowry when they got married. At most, they gave the bride’s family some grain, and that was considered the dowry.

“And I still have younger brothers and sisters at home.”

Ma Yan failed to pick up on Liu Hu’s irritation and thought it was only natural to provide a dowry.

“Yanzi, you’re just an ordinary person, you don’t even have a superpower, and after marrying me, you can only do odd jobs. How much dowry do you expect?”

“At least one hundred thousand yuan.”

Ma Yan frowned as well. What’s wrong with being an ordinary person?

“I don’t have that much. I even borrowed money from my sister to buy a house, and I still need to borrow more. I don’t even know how many years it will take to pay it back.”

“But you and your sister are both high-level superpower users, Liu Qian has such good treatment at the farm, she hardly spends any money, everything is provided by the farm. It’s only right for her to contribute a bit when her brother gets married. What’s this about paying it back? The dowry isn’t for me, it’s for my brother’s wedding.”

“Then how much are you bringing as a dowry? You have to let me know. Out of the one hundred thousand yuan, how much can I get?”

Liu Hu straightened his face.

“Nothing, just twenty kilograms of food grains and we’ll call it even.”

This time, Ma Yan felt a bit guilty.

“I don’t have one hundred thousand yuan.”

Liu Hu had already beaten a retreat in his heart, no longer wanting to get married.

In the middle of a disaster, still demanding a dowry like in peaceful times? I can’t afford it, so forget it.

“How about this? My dad said he can put up the money to buy a stake in Panpan Farm, so we wouldn’t need the dowry money. Go talk to Liu Qian about it, isn’t the farmer your good brother? He should be able to help you out.”

Ma Yan’s eyes shifted, and she spoke with a radiant smile.

Liu Hu’s expression changed instantly. He pushed her away with some force. Ma Yan, unprepared, was knocked to the ground.

“What are you doing?”

Ma Yan, after being shoved to the floor, immediately got angry and stared at Liu Hu, loudly protesting.

“After all this, cozying up to me was just to scheme for Xuedong’s farm. Tell your dad for me, I can’t afford his daughter. Just go back where you came from. We’re officially breaking up.”

Liu Hu had a life-or-death friendship with Xuedong, a bond forged through sharing hardships. Otherwise, he would not have sent Liu Qian to work on the farm, just to spare his sister from the frontline battles, to let her live a peaceful life, to ensure she had enough to eat.

“You want to break up with me?”

Ma Yan’s eyes widened in disbelief. Breaking up with me over a brother after just three months of dating?

“Yes, we’re breaking up. I can’t afford the dowry, and I can’t accept his terms. I advise your father to better not harbor any designs on my brother’s farm, or it won’t be just me acting—our boss, the Base Commander, can crush him.”

Liu Hu shook off her hand and was ready to leave.

Ma Yan grabbed his arm, “Hu Zi, do you really want to break up? We’ve had good times.”

“I’ve only dated you, we haven’t done anything else. Our relationship isn’t that close. If you’re unhappy, go ahead and call the police.”

Liu Hu didn’t hesitate to shake off her hand and ran away in a flash.

After getting home, furious, he went directly to the Base Commander to report the situation.

“Boss, I feel like someone is eyeing Xuedong Farm. Pan’er is too honest for these mind games; you need to watch out. They’ve come all this way to scheme against me.”

Liu Hu was also furious. Luckily, he was relatively stable and hadn’t been overly intimate with the girl, or else this break-up could have led to an accusation of misconduct.

“They’ve really gone to great lengths. I understand, Hu Zi. Your girlfriend is no good; you can’t keep her.”

“We’ve already broken up. There was no intimate behavior, just hand-holding at most. I’ve done nothing else; I’m not afraid of the police.”

Liu Hu was both rough and subtle, very measured in his actions, which is why he could be a team leader for so many years.

“That’s good. I’ll set you up with someone better later. What is all this nonsense.”

The Base Commander gave him a look.

Although Liu Hu was upset, the feeling was short-lived, and passed after just a few days. Even for a marriage prospect like Ma Yan, he could never compare her to his brothers. Now he understood why Xuedong was reluctant to hire long-term workers with families—it really was a hassle.

Thinking of this, he made another call to Xuedong to explain the situation so he could be prepared and on guard.